Means for controlling the rotation of the reels of fishing-rods.



W. E. CONNIPP. MEANS ron CONTROLLING THE ROTATION OF THE R'EELS orFISHING RODS. 1 ,0 1 0,02 1

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 2, 1910.

Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. OONNIFP. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ROTATION OF THE REELS 0FFISHING RODS.

. APPLICATION FILED 12.2, 1910. 1,010,021 Patented Nov. 28, 1911.

sums-sum 2.

V a citizen of the United States,

I WILLIAM E. CONNIFF, OF PORTLAND, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOROBERT F.

ENGELHARDT, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

' MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ROTATION OF THE HEELS 0F FISHING-RODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 28, 19111..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VrnLIAM E. CONNIFF, residing at Portland, in thecounty of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Means for Control ling the Rotation of Reels ofFishing-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

This 'nvention has for its object to do away with the crank handleforwinding the reel of a fishing rod, and to provide instead a windingmeans comprising a rack bar-and-pinion, contained within the hollowhandle of the rod, said rack-bar provided with a finger-piece,protruding through the exterior of the hollow handle, and the devicebeing so-arranged that by the reciprocable movement of the rack-bar thewinding of the line on the reel is accomplished.

My invention further has for its purpose to provide'automatic meansforpaying out the line from the reel, so as to let the fish,

caught on the hook, run with the line, and, furthermore, to provide aclutch constituting the connecting element between therackbar-and-pinion and the reel, controlling the rotation ,of thelatter, and being so arranged thatit is operated by the depression andrelease of a finger-piece protruding through the hollow handle of ther'rod; the object of the last described feature being to'be able toapply a brake to the reel, and

thus make it harder for the fish to run away with the line.

My invention furthermore embodies the specific features hereinafter morespecifically set forth.

Tnthedrawings: Figure 1 is a cross-section of the hollow handle of afishing rod, showing the reel inounted on the rod and the devicesprovided for causing and con trolling the rotation of the reel; Fig. 2is a longitudinal section'of the hollow handle 'of my rod, showing theparts contained tlle'reimlooking in the direction pointed by j thearrow'in Fig. 1, also showin the reel and operating.mechanism thereomounted exterior of said handle; parts being broken away; Fig. 3' is alongitudinal section on a pawls 0, p, held against the tated, the pawlspointed by the arrow in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail ofconstruction of the clutch element by which the rotation of the reel iscontrolled; Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of my device, looking inthedirection pointed by the arrow in Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail of theclutch element; and Fig. 7

is a diagrammatic, perspective of the arrangement of partof the geartransmission. All views, as evident, bemg drawn on an exaggerated scale.

The rodis provided with a tubular handie, a, in the hollow of which ismounted a rack-bar, b, reciprocable between two uide bars 0, cl,provided on the interior 0 the hollow handle. The casing of the hollow.handle, underneath the rack-bar b, is provided with a longitudinal slot6, through i, y',, meshing with the rack-bar b, but not with each other.To distinguish said gears i, j, I will term them primary gears. Eachthereof is made with an annular rim-flange is, Z, extendingperpendicularly from one of their faces respectively, and located withinsuch annular flanges in, Z, rigidly mounted on the shafts g, h, aredisks on, n, to the rims of which disks are pivoted radially disposedinterior faces of the flanges 7: Z by s rin 's 'g 1*.

As will be obs ef-ved f f'om Fig 3, the pawls 0, 79 point in oppositedirections, in order that when the rack-bar b-moves to the right,

and the gears z, j are correspondingly r0:

0 will engage with the annular flange 7c of-the gear '2', causing it tobecome locked, and to rotate with the shaft while, during the'sameinter'val, the pawls 72 will yield and permit the annular flange Zon the gear j to slide over them without interlocking; the gear 7'revolving for the time merely as an idler. When the rack-bar 6 line A-Aof Fig. 1, lookingin the direction 50 5 caused of the is moved in theoppositedirection the described action isreversed, causing the shaft hto become locked with and rotated by the gear j, and the gear 2' to runas an idler. I Rigidly mounted on the shafts g, h are two meshing gearss, t, which I shall term Secondary gears, and as shown in Fig. 1, saidsecondary gears beingl spaced from the annular flanges k, l of t eprimary ears 2', 3'. Thus the reciprocation of the rac -bar 1) causesthe rotation of either of the shafts h, and as said shafts areoperatively connected by the gears s, "t, a more or less continuousrotation in the same direction is gear t. e On the shaft h of the gear tis mounted a clutch member 1; longitudinally movable on a feather 00,-between said clutch' member '2) and the hub u of the gear t is looselymounted, on the shaft h, a gear '10, which I shall term transmittinggear. The clutch member '0 is connected by a spanner 3 tothe shanks of arotar bell crank 2, said shank z journaling in rackets 3, 4, provided onthe int'erior of the hollow handle a. The bell crank 2 is*operated by alever 5, pivotally suspended from a hanger 6, provided in the hollowhandle a To the opposite end of the lever 5 is pivotally connected abell crank 7, provided with a finger-piece 8,'ex-

tending through an aperture 11 in the hol low handle a; the'upwardmovement of said finger-piece 8 being limited by a flange 9. Acoil-spring 12 is arranged to hold the finger-piece 8 in its normalelevated position. By depressing the finger-piece 8 the clutch member yis caused to'be moved longitudinally on the shaft it, forcing the gear winto contact with the hub of the. gear 25, and causing the gear w torotate with said. gear 6. The frictional bearing of the transmittinggear to on the gears t depends upon the pressure exerted on thefinger-piece 8; andthus if such pressure be light, thetransmitting gearw may be permitted some slipon the gear It, so as to only. partiallyrotate therewith, and the degree of such rotation may, in consequence,be controlled as 'de-' sired.

A shaft 1 1 journals in journal bearing 18, provided in the wall of theasifig of the hollow handle a, and on the enids of said shaft 14 arerigidly mounted pin'ons 15, 16, the pinion l5 meshing with transmittinggear w and the pinion 16 meshing with, and

transmitting motion through, an intermediate gear 17 to a gear 18, faston the axle 20- of the reel 19. B reciprocating the rackbar 6, while thebell crank 7 has been 'depressed, the reel 19 iscaused to rotate. Byreason of the described connections between the reel and .the rack-barb, the reel-.19 cannot reciprocate the latter. The finger-piece 8 of thebell crank 7 is provided witharatchet face 10, in order that such bellcrank, 5 and therewith the clutch-lever 5, may be locked against thepull of the spring 12. It

is convenient to lock the bell crank, when revolving the reel andwinding up the line by reciprocatin the rack-bar, as mentioned; andwhile the nger-pie'ce is so locked, the reel 19 cannot be revolvedreversely to unwind the line. In other words, the same mechanism thatcauses the reciprocation of the rack-bar b to rotate the reel, after the5 bell crank 7 has been depressed, also locks the reel against anyrotation, except through the medium of the rack-bar; for the reverserotation of. the reel, while the bell crank 7 is still locked down,would rotate the transg0 mitting gear to, held in contact with the gear6, by the clutch member o, and in consequence the rotation of the gear wwould, cause the rotation ofthe gear 15, and with the latter the gear 8;and since thegears s, t 5 are fast on their shafts g, 72;, the latterwould be rotated in opposite directions inwardly, which .Would, causethe pawls 0, p to lock with the rim-flange of the gears '5, j, andstart'to rotate the latter in oppositedirec- 9o tions, which motion therack-bar I) would, however, not permit; and hence the reel 19 could notbe rotated reversely so long as the finger-piece 8 is depressed. Thesame combination of devices also permits the operator to control thereel by the degree of pressure exerted on the finger-piece 8, for thatwould control the degree of frictional contact of the transmitting gearw with the hub of' the gear 25; and thus the reel-operating devicesconstitute also a breaking mechanism by which may be controlled'thereverse rotation of the reel in the paying out, or unwinding, of theline. This is an important feature, for by caught with the line iscontrolled, so that if it is a large fish it can be made to pull hard onthe line, and more quickly tired out. It

also prevents anynoi'sy whirling around of the reel. In fact by mydevice the fisherman has complete control of the situation, for by thepressure he, exerts on the finger-piece 8, he controls the running outof the hne by the fish, and when the fish starts to. come back thefisherman can quickly Wind in the 1'15 line, by the reciprocation of therack-bar b. I also provide automatic 'means for revolv- 4 ing the reelreverselyfso as to pay 'out'the line automatically, and such isaccomplished.

by the following means: The reel spool 19 is loosely mounted onanaxle-pin 20, the

ends of which are riveted tothe sides 21, 22

of the reel case, said sides being connected by rod 23. The reel case isfastened on the ho1low handle, a, of the r'od'by any conven- I25 ient'means. A gear 24, loos'e on the reel axle 20, is provided .on'its outerface wi h a housing 25, within which is confined a i it the running oifof the fish 105 spring 26, one of the ends of which is fastened to thehousing 25, and-the other to the axle 20. The gear 24 meshes with apinion 27, integral with the gear 17,- the latter being mounted on astud 28 projecting from the .reel case, and the gear '17 meshes with thepinion 16. The trainof gears is so proportioned that the reel rot-atesat much greater speed than the spring unwinds, in order that acomparatively short spring26 will befamplefor a long fish line. And, asapparent, when the fingerpiece 8 is not depressed, alfd in consequencecomprising a reel rocable rack bar; a pair of transverse revoluble axlesabove the rackbar; a pair of prlmary gears loose on said axles, saidgears meshing with said rackbar, but out of mesh with each other; meanson each of said primar gears adapted to alternately connect one t lereofwith its axle, so that the reciprocation of the rack bar will drive theaxles of one of said primary gears alternately; a secondary pair ofgears fast onthe axles of said primary gears re;

spectively, said secondary gears in mesh v axle,

with each'other; a transmitting gear loose on one of said ax'res; aclutch element adapt-.

ed'to connect said loose transmitting gear to its axle, so as to rotatetherewith; a gear on the axle ofthe reel; and connections between thelast named gear and said transmitting gear.

2. ,The combination with a fishing rod, of

a line winding device, mounted thereon,

comprising a reciprocable raclrbar; a pair of transverse revoluble axlesabove the rackbar a pair of primary gears loose on said axles, saidgears meshing with said rackbar, but out of mesh with each other; meanson each of-said primary gears adapted to altern itely connect onethereof with its so that the reciprocation of the rack bar will drivethe axles of one of said primary. gears alternately; a secondary pairof*- gears fast on the axles of said primary gears respectively, saidsecondary gears. inmesh with each other; a transmitting gear loose onone of said axles; a clutch element adapted to connect said loosetransmitting gear by friction-to its axle, so as to rotate therewith; agear on the axle of the reel; and connections between the last namedgear and said transmitting gear.

3. The combination with a fishing-rod, of a line winding device, mountedthereon,

comprising a reciprocable rack bar; a pair.

each other; a transmittin gear loose on one of said axles; a clutcheement adapted to connect said loose transmitting gear by friction to itsaxle, so as to rotate therewith; said clutch,element includinga fingerpiece and the devices being so arranged that the degree 'of vdepressionof said \finger-piece correspondingly controls the transmission gear; asprihg controlling said clutch element and arranged to normally hold itin its inactivestate; a gear on the axle of the and connections betweenthe last reel; named gear and said transmitting gear.

4: The combination wlth a fishing rod, of a line winding device,vmounted thereon, comprising a reciprocable rack bar; a pair oftransverse revoluble axles abovevthe rackbar; a pair of primary gearsloose on said axles, said gears meshing wi'thsaid rack bar, but out ofmesh with each other; means on each of said primary gears adapted toalternately connect one thereof with its axle, so that the reciprocationof .the rack bar will drive the axles of one of said primary gearsalternately; a secondary pair of gears fast on the axles of said primarygears respectively, said secondary gears in mesh witheach other; atransmitting gear loose on one of said axles; a clutch element adaptedto connect said loose transmitting gear to its axle, so as to rotatetherewith to move said loose gear into contact with the secondary gearon the same axle, and so as to be rotated by the latter; said clutchelement including a finger-piece and the devices being so arranged thatthe degree of depression of said finger-piece correspondingly controlsthe transmission gear; a spring controlling said clutch element andarranged to normally hold it in its inactive state; a gear on the axleof the reel; and connectlons between thewlast named gear and saidtrans-' I mitting gear.

5.. Thecombination with a fishing rod, of a line winding device, mountedthereon,

comprising a reciprocable rack bar; a pair of transverse revoluble axlesabove the rackbar; a pair of primary gears loose on saidaxles, saidgears meshing with said rackbar, but out of mesh with each other; eachof said primary gears provided with a circumferential flange extendingperpendicular from one face thereof, -a disk rigidly mounted on the axleof said primary gear-- within' said flange, and spring-controlled pawlspivoted to said disk, said pawls arranged to lock the shaft with said'gear in one direction of the latters rotation; a sec- 6. The combinationwith a fishing rod, of

a line winding device, mounted thereon,

comprising a reciprocable rack bar; a pair of transverse revoluble axlesabove the rackbar; a pair of primary gears loose on said axles, saidgears meshing with said rack-bar, but out of mesh with each other; meanson each of said primary gears adapted to alternately connect one thereofwith its axle, so that the reciprocation of the rack bar will drive theaxles of one of said primary gears alternately; asecondary pair of gearsfast on the axles of said primary gears respectively, said secondarygears in mesh with each other; a transmitting gear loose on one of saidaxles; a clutch element adapted to connect said loose transmitting gearby friction to" its axle, so as to rotate therewith;

said clutch element including a finger piece and the devices being soarranged that the degree of depression of said finger piece cor-.respondingly controls the transmission gear;

a spring controlling said clutch element and I arranged to normally holdit in its inactive state; a gear on the axle of the reel; connectionsbetween the last named gear and said transmitting gear; and a spr ng'arranged to rotate the said reel when releasedin unwinding direction.

7. The combination with a fishing .rod provided with a hollow handle, ofa rackar reciprocable in said hollow handle, said rack bar provided witha finger-piece projected through a slot of the hollow handle,

a reel mounted on the rod, a pair of trans-- verse axles rotatablymounted above said rack bar in said hollow handle; a pair of primarygears loose on said axles, said gears meshing with said rack bar, butout of mesh with each other; means on each of said primary gears adaptedto alternately .connect .one thereof with its axle, so that thereciprocation of the. rack bar will drive the axles of one of saidprimary gears alternately;

a secondarypair of gears fast on the axles of said primary gearsrespectively, said secondary gearsvm mesh with each other; a

transmitting gear loose on one of said axles; a; clutch element adaptedto connect said loose transmitting gear to its axle, so as to rotatetherewith; a gear in the axle of the reel; and connections between thelast named provided with a circumferential flange ex.-

tending perpendicular from one face thereof, a disk rigidly mounted onthe axle of said primary gear within said flange, and spring-controlledpawls pivoted to said disk, said pawls arranged to lock the shaft withsaid gearain one direction of the latters rotation; a secondary pair ofgears fast on the axles of said primary gears respectively, saidsecondary gears in mesh with each other; a transmitting gearloose on oneof said axles; a clutch element adaptedto connect said loosetransmittin'g gear by friction to its axle, so asto rotate therewith;said clutch element including a finger piece and the devices being soarranged that the de gree of depression of said finger piececorrespondingly controls the transmission gear;

a spring controlling said clutch element and arranged to normall hold itin its inactive state; a gear on the axle of thereel; connectionsbetween the last named gear and said transmitting gear; and a springarranged to'rotate the said reel-when released in unwinding direction. a

' 9. The combination with a fishing rod provided with a hollow handle,of a rackjected through a slot of the hollow handle, a reel mounted onthe rod, a pair of trans? verse axles rotatably mounted above said rackbar in said hollow handle; a pairof primary gears loose on said axles,said gears meshing with said rack bar, but out of mesh with each other;each of sald primary gears provided with a circumferential flangeextending perpendicular from one face therebar reciprocable in saidhollow handle, said f rack bar provided with a finger-piece prolatter;said clutch element including a finger said transmitting gear; and aspring arpiece and the devices being so arranged that ranged to rotatethe said reel When released 10 the degree of depression of said fingerpiece .in unwinding direction.

correspondingly controls the transmission gear; a spring controllingsaid clutch ele- WILLIAM CONNIFF' ment and arranged to normally hold itin its Witnesses: inactive state; a gear on the axle of the reel; T. J.GEISLER,

connections between the last named gear and RALPH R. DUNIWAY.

